Birding

Kodiak has an active birdwatching group, and a robust Audubon Society. The definitive map of Kodiak's trails and hikes is produced by the Audubon Society.

Kayaking

One of the best ways to explore Kodiak is by Kayak. There are numerous small islands across the channel from Kodiak beyond Near Island, as well as bays, coves and inlets around every turn. The Kodiak Archipelago includes thousands of milies of coastline.

Trees on Kodiak

One of the most endearing aspects of Kodiak is the trees. Kodiak lies at the northern line of demarcation between the Great Pacific Forest that starts in Santa Cruz, California and ends at the treeless Aleutians to the north. Shuyak Island, Afognak Island and the northern part of Kodiak contain thick, dense forests of Sitka Spruce. A few miles south of the town of Kodiak, the trees disappear. Around Kodiak, there are many places to get lost in a thick, green forest.

How did the trees get here? The last ice age, about 20,000 years ago, wiped out all of the trees in the Northern Pacific region. Reseeding occurred in the Alaskan panhandle and South-Central Alaska from stands of forests that were not destroyed by the ice. In the Aleutians, the only chance for reseeding was from the mainland. Prevailing weather patterns were not favorable for spreading the seeds to re-forest most of the islands. Fortunately, sometimes the wind blows in the right direction, and Kodiak was blessed with life-giving seeds to initiate a re-forestation. The spruce forest is moving south on Kodiak Island at the rate of about one mile every hundred years.

Hiking

Developed trails exist around the State Parks, Monashka Bay and Near island, Most of the remaining trails around Kodiak are primative and unmarked, but getting there is half the fun.

Kodiak is a mosaic of dense forests, thick alder and steep treeless hillsides. It's all fair game, as Kodiak is, for the most part, open for exploration.

Golf

The rules are simple; no dogs, two-way radios, chainsaws or hatchets. The goal: a one-hole par 70 golf tournament on Pillar Mountain. The Pillar Mountain Golf Classic is held every year on April fool's weekend.

There is also a real golf course on Kodiak Island. The Bear Valley 9-hole course is three miles up the Buskin River Road off the Chiniak Highway.

Black Oystercatcher
Tufted Puffin
Gull

Surfing

Just a few miles down the road from Kodiak in Pasagshak lies Surfer's Beach. Though Kodiak is relatively warm, a 5/4 with gloves, booties and hood are required in the winter - along with an iron will. In the summer, the water temperature is in the mid-50s (as warm as Santa Cruz waters).

This is a beach break with long, rolling sets coming in regularly. The bottom is sandy, and the surf works at all tides.

There are several other random surf spots around Kodiak. VIsit the link below for more details.